he fine mineral earth lodged in the cavity within which he
worked, or else to detach the metallic incrustations lining its sides,
bearing a light wooden mine-hod on his back, suspended by a
shoulderstrap, and clothed in a thick flannel jacket, and short leathern
breeches, tied with thongs below the knee. Although in this
representation the lower extremities are concealed, the numerous
shoe-footed marks yet visible on the moist beds of some of the old
excavations prove that the feet were well protected from injury by the
rough rocks of the workings. Several mattock-heads exactly resembling
the one which this miner is holding have also been discovered; and to
enable us, as it were, to supply every particular, small oak shovels for
collecting the ore, and putting it into the hod, have in some places been
found.

[Picture: Leather sole of a Shoe]

[Picture: Iron Mattock head]

The mining and making of iron continued to be carried on in the Forest in
the manner indicated by the foregoing particulars, until the improved
methods of manufacture established in other parts of the kingdom,
particularly in Sussex, had been adopted here. As early probably as the
commencement of the reign of Elizabeth, these improvements came into use
in this locality, and superseded the old "make." It was for its
iron-mines, even more than for its timber, that this Forest excited the
jealousy of the Spaniards, who designed to suppress the former by
destroying the charcoal fuel with which they were worked.

[Picture: Oak Shovel]

The earliest intimation of any such change in the mode of manufacture
occurs in the terms of a "bargayne," made by the Crown, and preserved in
the Lansdowne MSS. "wth Giles Brudges and others," on 14th June, 1611,
demising "libertye to erect all manner of workes, iron or other, by lande
or water, excepting Wyer workes, and the same to pull downe, remove, and
alter att pleasure," with "libertye to take myne oare and synders, either
to be used att the workes or otherwise," &c. By "synders" is meant the
refuse of the old forges, but which by the new process could be made to
yield a profitable percentage of metal which the former method had failed
to extract. In the year following a similar "bargayne" was made with
William Earl of Pembroke, at the enormous rental of 2,433 pounds 6s. 3d.,
but with leave to take "tymbr for buildinges & workes as they we